Can you play with real money at sweepstakes casinos?
As we’ve already established, you cannot play at sweepstakes casinos with real money. However, they do allow you to redeem your Sweepstakes Coin winnings for real prizes. The question is how?
This warrants a longer answer, as the entire sweepstakes casino concept relies on the implementation of US sweepstakes regulations. First and foremost, sweepstakes casinos work on a strict ‘no purchase necessary’ basis.
So where regular online casino
sites like BitBetWin, require you to make real money deposits, this is not a happening thing at a sweepstakes casino. These types of gaming platforms use two different virtual currencies to facilitate casino play: Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins, which can be collected for free. Let’s take a closer look at those first.
| Coin type | Key details |
| Gold Coins (GC) | Gold Coins are the primary virtual currency used by the majority of sweepstakes casino sites. They allow you to play free casino games like slots, roulette, blackjack, and poker on a simple, fun-only basis.
Here are some of the characteristics of gold Coins you need to know:
- Gold Coins cannot be exchanged or redeemed
- Most sweepstakes casinos give you the option to buy more Gold Coins if you run out
- You can get more Gold Coins for free through bonuses, winning games, and social media giveaways
|
| Sweepstakes Coins (SC) | Sweepstakes Coins are a promotional sweepstakes currency. They have no monetary value, but SC winnings can be redeemed for prizes like cash, gift cards, and merchandise when certain conditions are met.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the need-to-know characteristics of SC:
- Sweepstakes Coins can be redeemed for prizes
- You cannot buy Sweepstakes Coins
- There are ways to get SC for free including through bonuses, gameplay, competitions, giveaways, and random drops
|
So, the key to redeeming prizes like cash or
gift cards at casinos
listing them as alternatives, is collecting Sweepstakes Coins. The next question is: how do you go about doing that? Well, we’ve answered that in our full step-by-step guide to sweepstakes casino redemptions below.
1.
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Players from United States of America accepted
2.
27.5 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
3.
5 SC FREE + 250 Game Coins and 600 Diamonds
Players from United States of America accepted
4.
35 SC FREE and 1.75M WOW Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
5.
33 SC FREE and 67,777 Lucky Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
How to redeem sweepstakes Coins for real prizes
Step 1: Choose a sweepstakes casino
There are dozens of sweepstakes casinos out there, so your first not-so-easy task is to browse, compare, and choose your favorite. Gameland.gg can certainly help you out with this, with up-to-date reviews and guides on some of the best sweepstakes casinos – including heavy-hitters like Stake.us (more on these guys later) to up-and-coming brands like those featured in our
Orion Stars casino review.
Step 2: Read the “Sweeps Rules” carefully
Found a sweepstakes casino that you like the look of? Before you race ahead and register, take a moment to review their general T&Cs and Sweeps Rules.
Here, you’ll find the important legalese outlining how sweepstakes prizes are awarded and the requirements you’ll need to satisfy to redeem Sweepstakes Coins for alternative prizes. There are a few key terms and conditions to keep an eye out for here, including:
- Playthrough requirements:
Most sweepstakes casino brands enforce a playthrough requirement on all SC redemptions. This means you need to play games with your SC a set number of times before they become eligible for redemption. So, a 2x SC playthrough requirement would mean you had to play each SC token you’ve collected at least two times.
- Minimum redemption requirement:
Before you can exchange SC for prizes, you may need to collect a minimum amount of these free virtual tokens. For example, some sweepstakes casinos may have a 100 SC minimum redemption requirement, meaning you can only submit a redemption request when you’ve collected 100 eligible SC. Simple.
- SC equivalent values:
Since sweepstakes Coins are virtual currencies with no real-world worth, casinos are free to assign any equivalent value to them they choose. For instance, some brands may opt for 1 SC = $1, while others may make it 100 SC = $1. For sweepstakes casinos with real money prize redemption Be sure to check this in the T&Cs before you play, as it could have a big impact on things like bonuses and potential prize pots.
Step 3: Register
We won’t go into reams of detail here. Signing up at most sweepstakes casinos is super straightforward; just remember to check that the brand is legal in your jurisdiction before you add any details, as well as for any region-specific restrictions that could impact how you play.
Step 4: Start collecting sweepstakes Coins
Once you’re signed up with a shiny new sweepstakes casino account, you can start building up your pot of free sweepstakes Coins. There are plenty of ways to claim more SC, including:
- Welcome bonuses, daily login bonuses, and other regular promotions
- Claiming giveaways and prize drops advertised on social media
- Winning casino games in sweepstakes mode. That includes
no deposit online fish shooting games, slots, table games, and live casino options.
- Earning VIP loyalty points
Remember: most sweepstakes casino sites will have playthrough and minimum redemption requirements that you’ll need to satisfy before you can redeem any SC you’ve collected. So, it’s all about managing your SC “bankroll” until you’re confident all T&Cs are taken care of.
Step 5: Redeem Sweepstakes Coins for real prizes
When you’ve satisfied all requirements, you can proceed to submit a Sweepstakes Coin redemption request. If successful, the casino will transfer a prize equivalent to the value of the SC to your banking method of choice. You can also choose to redeem the tokens as gift cards or merchandise in some cases.
3 of our favorite sweepstakes casino brands
Stake.us – Unlock an exclusive welcome bonus
Stake.us: Pros & Con
- Live casino games
- Top VIP rewards program
- Exclusive welcome deal with code GAMELANDGG
While it’s impossible to play with real money at sweepstakes casinos, there are a few compromises when accessing Vegas-style games online at Stake.us. This is one of the very best sweepstakes casinos around, though you should know from the outset that Stake.us offers Stake Cash redemption in the form of cryptocurrencies or gift vouchers only.
With that said, playing at Stake.us is akin to gaming at the very best online casino sites. An excellent games library is bolstered by the presence of a fully-fledged live casino, while the Stake VIP Club promises a rewarding experience to boot. Plus, when you join Stake.us as a new player, you can grab a nice welcome bonus worth 55 SC + 260k Gold Coins + 5% rakeback (with 25 SC available immediately and an additional 30 SC when you claim the daily reload for your first 30 days as a Stake.us player). Simply add our exclusive code ‘GAMELANDGG’ to unlock the deal.
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Stake.us Highlights
- Leading Sweepstakes Casino
- Great Game Selection
- Easy to Use
McLuck – A newbie but a goodie
McLuck: Pros & Con
- Top range of casino game studios
- 107,500 GC and 35 SC welcome bonus
- Daily McLuck Jackpot Bonus Wheel
- Untested vs bigger brands out there
McLuck may not be able to compete with the likes of Stake.us from a reputational standpoint, but there’s a lot to like here – from the McLuck Loyalty Club and exclusive McLuck Jackpot Bonus Wheel to the brand’s massive welcome deal worth 107,500 GC and 35 SC.
Another aspect of McLuck that has impressed us so far is the brand’s seriously impressive game studio line-up. Pragmatic Play, Evoplay, Habanero – every developer you can think of is in attendance here, which is why we’re inclined to believe McLuck when they promise new games every week.
27.5 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
Chumba Casino – One of the US’ favorite sweepstakes brands
Chumba Casino: Pros & Con
- Trustworthy name
- Generous daily login rewards
- Massive welcome bonus available
- Not the biggest games library
Chumba Casino needs little by way of introduction. This is one of the best-known sweepstakes casino sites in the USA, offering tons of excellent slots, tables, and bingo-style games, along with some of the fastest SC redemptions of any like-for-like sweepstakes outfit.
Join Chumba Casino today and you’ll receive 2,000,000 GC + 2 SC as a new player, plus an additional 200,000 GC + 1 SC when you access your account every 24 hours. With offers this good, it’s no wonder Chumba Casino recently surpassed the 1 million player mark.
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Stake.us Highlights
- Leading Sweepstakes Casino
- Great Game Selection
- Easy to Use
Are sweepstakes casinos with real money prizes legit?
Whilst playing at sweepstakes casinos with real money isn’t possible, redeeming your Sweepstakes Coin winnings for alternative prizes, including cash is. Sure, there are T&Cs like playthrough requirements and minimum SC redemption amounts to consider, but so long as you play at your own pace, there are hours of fun to be had along the way.
Don’t forget, too, that if you choose Stake.us as your sweepstakes casino of choice, you can benefit from a massive welcome bonus as a new player. Simply add our exclusive code GAMELANDGG during registration to claim this frankly unmissable deal.
The best sweepstakes bonuses in 2024
1.
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Players from United States of America accepted
Requirements (WR): 3x
2.
27.5 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
Requirements (WR): 1x Bonus
3.
5 SC FREE + 250 Game Coins and 600 Diamonds
Players from United States of America accepted
Requirements (WR): 1x Bonus
4.
35 SC FREE and 1.75M WOW Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
Requirements (WR): 1x Bonus, Min. Deposit: 9.99
5.
33 SC FREE and 67,777 Lucky Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
Sweepstakes casino FAQs
💵 Can you win money on sweepstakes casinos?
There are no sweepstakes casinos with real money gameplay. Instead you can collect free Sweepstakes Coins and when you use them to play games, any winnings you make can be redeemed for cash prizes, subject to individual brand T&Cs.
📌 Are sweepstakes casinos legal in the USA?
Because you don’t play with real money at sweepstakes casinos, this type of gaming platform is legal in most US states. Not all brands operate in all states though, so you will need to check that they’re permitted in your location.
💰 What are sweepstakes Coins worth?
Sweepstakes Coins have no real-world value beyond the platform they’re used on. However, when they are used for playing games in sweepstakes mode, then SC winnings become eligible for redemption at a value that is determined by individual sweepstakes casino brands.
